Bringback but no papers

lowell66dart · February 08, 2022, 08:14:39 PM

Slow day so enjoy the pics guys. I live in a small community and last year I heard a story from the resident gun nut around here (good friend of mine) about the first SKS he ever saw. He knows about my SKS problem:) His brother was a coworker with the rifles current owner. He got it from another local guy. I knew of these two people and knew their younger siblings who were closer to my age.

So here is the story. The original owner did more than one tour in Vietnam. According to him he had a good job in a warehouse or something and bought the rifle from another GI. He didn't remember having to do any paperwork and just brought it home on the plane with him. Somehow when he collected his luggage the rifle was missing and he assumed it was stolen and long gone. About a month after he was home he said the post office called and said they had a rifle with his name on it.
He sold the rifle to the current owner. He has a Mosin that he brought back that he will never sell but isn't really attached to the SKS. That being said he hasn't agreed to sell it or trade it to me. From my perspective it doesn't have much value but I would like to have it because of the local connections. Here's some crappy pics.

lowell66dart · February 08, 2022, 08:17:11 PM

Serial is hard to see but it is an arsenal 26 marked #7047878.

echo1 · February 09, 2022, 08:40:35 AM

That's pretty cool. If you do happen to get it, get the story written down by the fella that brought it back, just because. I've got an un-papered one as well. I bought the story, the rifle was cheap. Mine I got from the vet's widow. She just wanted it gone and said "He brought it back from over there". PAX

running-man · February 09, 2022, 11:49:20 AM

Neat one! I would have major issues with the mismatch handguard to stock color though. Is the stock a replacement or has it just been heavily sanded/refinished?

lowell66dart · February 09, 2022, 12:12:31 PM

Yeah that handguard sticks out bad. You can't see it well in my crappy pics but the metal is really rough in some areas. This makes me think the stock has been replaced or sanded to hell. It's a mutt of a rifle for sure but still cool to me.

running-man · February 09, 2022, 01:44:32 PM

No worries, it is a very neat old war horse for certain.

The metal certainly sticks out as having seen more abuse than the stock. The original stock may have fallen to pieces or anyone in the chain of ownership may have swapped it or refinished it.

Still, my OCD would have a serious clash with the mismatch and the OCD would likely win (possibly to the detriment of the rifle!!

)

I had a SinoBanian I got in 2014 that had a very similar issue. Dark handguard, lighter reddish stock. I couldn't take it after a while and simply had to refinish the handguard to match.

Before:

After:

echo1 · February 10, 2022, 01:28:22 AM

Better rm. I'm with you on the HGs matching. PAX

pcke2000 · February 11, 2022, 12:05:07 AM

Quote from: lowell66dart on February 08, 2022, 08:14:39 PM

So here is the story. The original owner did more than one tour in Vietnam. According to him he had a good job in a warehouse or something and bought the rifle from another GI. He didn't remember having to do any paperwork and just brought it home on the plane with him. Somehow when he collected his luggage the rifle was missing and he assumed it was stolen and long gone. About a month after he was home he said the post office called and said they had a rifle with his name on it.
He sold the rifle to the current owner. He has a Mosin that he brought back that he will never sell but isn't really attached to the SKS. That being said he hasn't agreed to sell it or trade it to me. From my perspective it doesn't have much value but I would like to have it because of the local connections. Here's some crappy pics.

Was it possible during Vietnam War? I am just curious.

lowell66dart · February 11, 2022, 09:15:48 AM

Yes it was during the war. Both of the guys mentioned served. IF I ever get my paws on it I wold type up the story, have it signed and notarized etc. it's a beat up old rifle but I like it.

pcke2000 · February 11, 2022, 09:44:22 PM

Quote from: lowell66dart on February 11, 2022, 09:15:48 AM
Yes it was during the war. Both of the guys mentioned served. IF I ever get my paws on it I wold type up the story, have it signed and notarized etc. it's a beat up old rifle but I like it.

Well, I did not say the person didn't deploy to Vietnam. I just cannot figure out how a service member working at a warehouse was able to bring an enemy's rifle back without doing any paperwork during Vietnam War.

lowell66dart · February 11, 2022, 09:57:22 PM

What I should have said was he didn't remember doing any paperwork. He is not in the best shape. When I went to ask him about the rifle I had to jog his memory a bit and then he started recalling what actually happened.

Boris Badinov · February 12, 2022, 11:50:10 AM

Interesting.

The stock has been refinished, and its hard to tell if the stock has serial number. However, the side sling swivel (although missing) is correct for a 7th year carbine.

I'm curious, does the magazine serial match the receiver?

lowell66dart · February 12, 2022, 05:24:49 PM

The side swivel is around. The first time I saw it it was held on with two silver wood screws. I told him I had some correct screws at home. I really didn't but ordered him some surplus ones. When I brought them to him I took the pics.

Like a dummy I never took and pictures of the numbers. It's been a few months since I bugged him so might go see him next week.

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Bringback but no papers